The Curse Keepers Collection (66 page)

“It’s nine thirty now. How about ten thirty so Howie can go over the menu with you? And you can just wear khakis and a white shirt for your uniform.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you then.”

I finished giving a quick scrub to all the bathrooms before I told Becky I had to leave. “I can finish freshening up the rooms in the main house after my shift. Myra told me the team would be out until after dinner.”

“Are you sure?”

I knew what she was asking. I was about as reliable as a fox in a henhouse lately. “I’m positive. I’ll be working the lunch shift until three, and then I’ll hopefully pick up my car and be back by four at the latest.”

I had to scrounge through my clothes to find a khaki skirt and a clean white shirt, but I was on time—I even had one minute to spare. It didn’t take me long to get up to speed with the menu, and by the time I’d figured out my station and everything else, the lunch crowd was flowing in. I’d known that Darrell’s was a favorite for employees at the courthouse about a mile down the highway, but the number of law enforcement officers surprised me.

“Ellie.” I heard a voice call out from behind me as I was heading for the kitchen. Tom was sitting at a table with a sheriff deputy.

Shit.

“Hey, Tom.”

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

I would have loved nothing more than to blow him off, but after last night I had a feeling he’d haul me to the police station if I wasn’t cooperative. “Sure, let me just take this order to the kitchen.” I pointed my thumb toward the back.

He nodded and I gave the order to the cooks before heading back to the officers’ table.

“You’re not in my station, Tom, so I’m afraid I can’t take your order.”

He rested his elbows on the table and looked up at me with a smile. “Then it’s a good thing I already gave my drink order to one of the other waitresses.”

I jutted my hip to the side. “Then what can I do for you? As you can see, we’re pretty busy.”

“You’re new here, aren’t you?” the sheriff deputy asked. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, but he didn’t appear to be hard and jaded like so many police officers his age. He seemed friendly, so I let down my guard a notch.

“I’m just filling in. I usually work at the New Moon, but we’re temporarily closed.”

“A couple of the waitresses who worked there were killed, right?” the deputy asked.

My smile froze on my face. He was fishing for information. “Seeing how that’s public knowledge, and you look to have half your wits about you, I’m surprised you don’t know that for certain. Have you been on vacation?”

The deputy’s face reddened, and Tom choked back a laugh.

Tom took a moment to gather himself. “Ellie, this is Deputy Moran, and he’s with the Dare County Sheriff’s Office.”

I raised my eyebrows as I stared at him.

“He’s investigating the death last night.”

I put a hand on my hip. “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

Tom rolled his eyes. “Ellie, you know damn good and well what I’m talking about.”

I heaved out a loud exhale. “Tom, I’m really busy. This is my first day, and I’d really like to keep this job seeing as how I don’t have another one at the moment. Do you have a question or not?”

The deputy cleared his throat, no longer looking as friendly as he had a few moments ago. “Were you in Wanchese last night?”

“Is this an interrogation? Really?” I looked around the restaurant. “Now?”

“Ellie,” Tom growled. “Just answer the goddamned question.”

I could lie, but what if they had proof? “Yes.”

Relief flooded Tom’s face.

“What were you doing in Wanchese?” the deputy asked.

I glared at him. “What I do or don’t do is my business. If I wanted the world to know, I would have tweeted about it.”

The deputy leaned forward, his eyes hardening. “We can do this at the sheriff’s office if you’d prefer.”

Anger singed my chest. “Are you accusing me of a crime?” My voice rose louder than I’d intended and several people looked in my direction.

Tom’s eyes pleaded with me. “Ellie, we’re not accusing you of anything.”

The deputy’s face was expressionless. “I’m reserving judgment.”

I rolled my eyes and then put my hands on the table and leaned closer to them. “I like to go to Wanchese and skinny-dip. Okay? I’m not exactly proud of it, but there you go.” I stood up. “Anything else?”

The deputy didn’t look happy at all and neither did Tom.

“Did you see a giant snake by the docks last night?” Deputy Moran asked.

I gave him a saucy look. “I know that’s what lots of guys like to call it, but no. I didn’t see any
giant snakes
in Wanchese last night.” I used air quotes around giant snakes. “Not that I’m maligning Wanchese,” I added. “I’m sure there’s a few there. I just haven’t seen them.”

Tom tried to keep from laughing, earning a disapproving look from the deputy.

“Is there anything else? Because my customers at the table over there need a refill and every second I’m here with you is costing me in tips.”

The deputy shook his head. “No. But I’m going to want to talk to you later.”

I gave him a smile. “Tom knows where to find me.” I quickly left and got refills for the table that was waiting, offering the customers my apologies.

The fact that the deputy wanted to question me set me on edge. At least I knew where I stood with Tom. This other guy was a wild card. I knew he couldn’t accuse me of anything—after all,
I
clearly hadn’t put those holes in that guy—but I didn’t want to be tied to anything supernatural.

When I brought plates to one of my tables, I noticed that I had a new customer in the back, his head bent, his face looking down at the menu.

My heart stopped, leaving me light-headed.

Collin looked up, and the blood rushed from his face.

I was stuck. This was my first day, so there was no way I was going to ask the hostess to move him. I had to suck it up and be a big girl.

I walked toward him, my back stiffening. “Can I get you something to drink?”

Collin’s mouth moved like he was about to say something, but then a wry smile lifted his lips. “We have to stop meeting this way, Ellie.”

I tilted my head with a fake smile. “You already broke the curse, so what dastardly deed could you have in mind this time?”

He leaned back. “This time is a coincidence. In fact, I’ve been here almost every day for over a week. I could accuse you of staking
me
out.”

I curled my upper lip. “You wish.”

“You did it last night.” But the smile fled from his face.

I refused to acknowledge anything about last night, especially since Tom and the deputy were still on the other side of the room. “Can I get your drink order?”

“Water.”

I checked on my other tables before I got Collin’s water, but I noticed that my interaction with him had drawn Tom’s attention. Thankfully, the deputy hadn’t noticed.

When I returned to Collin’s table, he had a serious look on his face. “What happened after I left you?”

My eyes narrowed and I lowered my voice, leaning closer to him. “You lost all right to ask me what happened the moment you drove off.”

He had the nerve to look pissed. “Like it or not, we need to keep track of each other.”

My mouth dropped. “Are you shitting me?”

The couple at the next table turned their heads toward us.

Great. Between Collin, Tom, and Deputy Moran, I was going to lose this job on the first day. “I need your order, Collin.”

He shook his head in disgust and slid the menu toward me, looking out the window. “A hamburger, medium rare.”

I leaned over to pick up his menu with my right hand and his right hand snatched my wrist, pulling me close. Our faces were less than a foot apart. The call of his mark sent a shiver down my spine, and I struggled to catch my breath.

“Say what you like, Ellie,” he whispered, his eyes burning with desire. “But we still need each other.”

My temper flared, and I lowered my voice. “I need you to help me send those awful things back, but you refuse to do it. I need you to show me Ahone’s mark, but you say you don’t know it. I’m not sure what you could possibly need
me
for. Other than the obvious.”

“Did a giant horned snake really save you from some . . . ”

He couldn’t bring himself to say it, so I did. “
Rapist?
” I whispered. “Yeah. Big Nasty saved me, because apparently I’m some big prize for Okeus, and all the creatures of the night are making sure to save me for him.” My eyebrows lifted. “Forgive me if I don’t feel protected.”

“Ellie . . . ”

I glanced toward Tom, who had dropped any pretense of not watching me.

Leaning close to Collin’s ear, I whispered. “Those two officers behind me are already watching my every move, and now Tom is
very
interested in this interaction. I suspect this little show will cost me a trip down to the police station, all thanks to you
again
. So if you will kindly take your
fucking
hand off my wrist.”

His grip loosened, and I slowly stood.

“I’ll have your order out shortly.”

Tom watched me as I headed into the back, and I found a corner to hide in to regain my cool. On the plus side, I’d been in close proximity to Collin and other than the twitch in my palm when my mark was almost pressed against his, I hadn’t felt an overwhelming urge to jump him. But now Tom had even more material to fuel his quest to solve the mystery of Ellie Lancaster. What the hell was I going to do about that?

One problem at a time.

By the time I left the kitchen, Tom and Deputy Moran had already left. I ignored Collin while I waited on the other tables in my section. When I finally set his plate on the table, his face was expressionless.

“What do they know?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Ellie.”

“Why have you been here every day over the last week?”

A hesitant smile spread across his face, making my heart ache. It was another painful reminder of why I’d fallen for him.

He looked up at me. “The cops love to eat here, and they chat about what’s going on when they think no one’s listening.”

“Why . . . ?” Then it made sense. Collin hadn’t completely divorced himself from the situation. He was keeping tabs on what the police knew about the spirit world.

“I want to see you when you get off work.”

I shook my head. “No way.”

“Grow up, Ellie.”

I gasped, astounded at his nerve. Instead of responding, I turned around and printed out his ticket, then tossed it onto his table. “You can pay me when you’re ready.”

He pulled a twenty-dollar bill from his wallet and left it on the table. “You can keep the change,” he said as he stood to leave, his food barely eaten.

I considered throwing it back at him but decided he owed me the ten-dollar tip. That and so much more.

When my shift was over at three, Carly asked me if I could work the lunch shift the next day. After my confrontations with the police officers and Collin, I was baffled that she wasn’t going to fire me. But then again, she was desperate, just like I was.

“Sure.” I had a feeling both Tom and Collin would be back, but that was a cross I could bear for financial survival.

Bruce had had left a message saying my car was ready, so I called Claire to see if she could help me pick it up. “Yes, but you have to come inside when you come and get me. I have something to show you.”

“If it’s another weird sexual position, tell me right now. I’ll ask the homeless guy who hangs out at the Food Lion in Nags Head to help me instead.”

“One time! I showed you something
one time
, and you’re going to hold it over me forever.”

“I was scarred for life.”

“Well, it’s not. And Drew and I have amazing sex, so you should be so lucky.”

I groaned. “Spare me the details.”

“It’s about my wedding.”

“Oh. Why didn’t you say so? Did you bring me a piece of chocolate cake from your taste testing?”

“No. It’s better.”

“You brought me red velvet cake.”

“It’s not cake! It’s better than cake.”

“There’s nothing better than cake, so I’ll have to be the judge of that when I get there.”

When I got to Claire’s, I knocked on the door. “I’m in the bedroom!” she shouted, loud enough for me to hear her from outside.

When I reached her room, I pushed the partially open door wide and gasped. Claire was standing in the middle of her room wearing her wedding dress.

She lifted the sides of her skirt and dropped it with a fluff. “Well, what do you think?”

“That you’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.” And she was. Her satin dress was a halter style with a short train and scattered appliqués around the waist and bodice. It was simple but elegant. So her.

“Who would have thought I’d get married first? You were always the one who wanted a husband and kids.”

My mouth twisted into a sideways grimace. “I know. Go figure.” Then I realized how awful that sounded. “But I’m so happy for you. I hope you don’t think I’m not.”

Claire grabbed my hands in hers. “Don’t worry, Ellie. You’ll find the right guy. I know it. I have a feeling he’s right around the corner.”

I nodded, but given the ins and outs of my current situation, I knew it was unlikely. “Well, this will be your big day, and you’ll be so gorgeous that it won’t matter if I wear a gunnysack standing next to you. So I retract my protests about the dress.”

Her face broke into a wide grin. “That’s the surprise.” She grabbed a dress swathed in a plastic bag from the closet and handed it to me. “Surprise!”

I took the garment bag. “Is this my dress?”

“Open it.”

I laid the bag on the bed and unzipped it, gasping when I saw the green satin fabric. “It’s not orange.”

“Nope, it’s emerald green. You look so pretty in that color. And the halter top will make your tits look amazing.”

I ignored that comment. “But you ordered orange dresses. And your sister . . . ”

“It’s my wedding, and I can do what I want.” She smirked. “You’ve had a shitty few weeks, and if this dress makes you even the tiniest bit happy, then . . . ” Her voice trailed off as she shrugged.